Jackson's art, music touched millions | POLL

(Jackson) knew he had a following. It's almost a culture shock because he catered to the masses."

Cameron Hall was rocking out to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" on Thursday morning as he drove to Louisville, Ky.

"A few hours later, I heard on (NPR) that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital," the Evansville resident said. "I didn't take it too seriously."

Jackson, 50, the King of Pop, died a few hours later in a Los Angeles hospital.

Word of Jackson's death spread quickly through television reports, text messages, social networking sites and telephone calls.

"It still hasn't set in yet," Hall said.

When Ron Lyles, 62, of Evansville learned that Jackson had passed, he remembered seeing him in 1988 at Freedom Hall in Louisville as part of the Pepsi Cola tour.

"It was a capacity crowd," he said. "It was one of those concerts that stood out. It started at 8 p.m. on the dot, and he went a straight two hours."

Lyles said Jackson's appeal reached all ages.

"I just saw thousands of families, people of all age groups and all walks of life," he said. "He knew he had a following. It's almost a culture shock because he catered to the masses."

A small group gathered at Nazarene Baptist Church on Walnut Street on Thursday evening remembered Jackson. Some recalled Jackson's childhood days and his beginnings in Gary, Ind., while others said they were introduced to his music by older relatives.

"I was too young," said Noland Pruitt, 18, of Henderson, Ky. "But my older cousin used to listen to Michael, and I became a fan. I'm a big Michael Jackson fan."

Sitting nearby, Angela Holland, 31, of Evansville, put her hand over her heart as she said, "My mother bought all of his albums, and I had his poster on my wall."

The Jackson 5's "ABC" is the song she first connected with, and said she watched their cartoon on Saturday mornings.

"He is the greatest," she said.

For some, Michael Jackson crossed generations. Pam Decker, 51, of Evansville, said she and her son, William, 23, recently were listening to Jackson's greatest hits CD.

"It's generational," she said.

Her favorite Jackson song is "I Want You Back." For her son, it is "Remember the Time."

Decker was among the Evansville residents who boarded a bus to Indianapolis to see a Jackson concert in the 1980s.

"You cannot deny the performer that he was," she said. "I'm a fan from the ‘Billie Jean' era."

James Hamler, 37, minister of music at Nazarene, calls himself a fan of Jackson's through the years.

"I'm not a pop fan, but he's one of the entertainers that everybody loved. I was shocked," Hamler said of hearing of Jackson's death. His favorite song is "Man in the Mirror," says he listened to the Jackson 5 but first took notice of Jackson's "Billie Jean," and, of course, "everyone loves ‘Thriller.'"

"I was walking through church when someone said Michael Jackson died. I was speechless. Some people you think will live forever. I felt as if a family member had died."

For 61-year-old Almai Branch, "No one can duplicate his music. I enjoyed his music with my children, and we danced to his songs."

Branch was with more than a half-dozen members of the church's praise dancers, True Praise, who were at their weekly musical rehearsal. The group ranges in age from 30 to 69.

Branch has two adult children and two grandchildren. Her favorite Jackson song is "Thriller," and she calls "Beat It" her second favorite.

"I just loved that," she said.

Linda Dunbar said she got a text message that Jackson had died. She didn't believe it until BET confirmed it, and then she turned to CNN.

"It was the last thing I expected to hear," said Dunbar, 47. "I have sympathy for him because he never had a childhood. But I felt pride to see an all-black group make it. It was awesome to see them (the Jackson 5) make it. It's tragic he never had a life."